The Hydrogen Project

Red and his pals try to carbonate Possum Lake, which results in hydrogen forming on the lake.

Cast (in order of appearance):, , , , , , , , ,

DVD: Red Green: Stuffed and Mounted, Vol. 5; Red Green Show – The Toddlin' Years

Watch the episode on YouTube

DVD Commentary by Steve Smith
{from Stuffed and Mounted}

STEVE SMITH: Rick Green plays Bill on the show, and actually, he created the Red Green series with me. He's a friend of mine. Um, the problem that Rick has is that he thinks of things in his mind and he gets all excited about them and doesn't really think about when he actually has to do it. And this is a perfect example in this episode: he had this idea of drilling a well, getting onto a power auger and having that thing take off. He'd actually ride it around. He just thought that was the funniest idea in his mind, and then later on, when we had to actually apply his body to that idea, he wasn't quite as enthused about it.

Segment Summary
See also: Transcript

Plot: Red is on a water diet to try to lose weight. He also announces that the water in Possum Lake had been okayed for human consumption. Harold doubts this, but Red says they will drop a high-tension wire into the lake to attempt to purify it. This causes a massive cloud of hydrogen in the area, which ends up having strange effects on things inside the Lodge. Red tries to use this to his advantage by filling a propane tank with hydrogen and then inflating something in his trousers to make himself lighter. Predictably, this doesn't end well.

Opening Scene: Red explains that women see the big picture, whereas men see everything in little parts.

Red's Campfire Songs: How being ugly has its benefits.

Buddy System: Red and Winston have some suggestions on what to do when it's late and you failed to call your wife.

Handyman Corner: Red makes a water purification system out of a trashcan, halitosis pills, kitty litter, and other ingredients.

Midlife: Why you should just let your eyes go.

Visit With Buzz Sherwood: Buzz starts his own courier business and tries to add a floating canoe to his fleet. The canoe's floating was caused by the hydrogen being released.

Harold's Segments: Harold and Red discuss why people smoke.

Adventures With Bill: Bill helps Red dig for "fresh" water.

Visit With Glen Brachston: Red asks Glen about boating tips, dieting, and to borrow a propane tank.

The Experts: Edgar advises a viewer on how to get rid of a flock of seagulls.

Inside References

 * Bill punctures the Possum Van's radiator with his pipe.

Real-World References

 * Buzz's message about loving planes is a parody of a line from the song "Love the One You're With".
 * As they remove the hydrogen from Red's hat, Harold mentions the Hindenburg, a zeppelin that was filled with hydrogen and famously exploded.
 * After he blows up the floating canoe, Buzz directly quotes from news footage of the Hindenburg disaster.
 * "Sherwood Express" and its slogan are a parody of FedEx and its slogan, "When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Get There".

Famous Mentions

 * During the main plot, Harold mentions the band Led Zeppelin.

Fast Forward

 * In Life Cycle, Red reverses his Midlife advice and tells men that they actually should get glasses.
 * In School Bus Blimp, when the titular project fails, Red repeats Buzz's quotes of the news footage from the Hindenburg disaster.